Reid has been with the Eagles for 13 years, and if he can't get it done in the upcoming season then Lurie will in all likelihood part ways with the long tenured head coach. Although I have supported Reid and will continue to support him, I am in total agreement with the notion that 2012 is his final year.
All things considered, Reid should be very grateful that Lurie is even giving him another chance. With the amount of talent the Eagles acquired, an 8-8 season that fell short of the postseason is simply inexcusable. Given the fact that I believe 2012 will be Reid's final run at a Super Bowl, I think he is going to do everything he can to give himself the best chance at a ring, which includes bringing back Steve Spagnuolo.
According to Jason LaCanfora of the NFL Network:
"Spagnuolo, let go by the St. Louis Rams last week, is expected to be back in Philadelphia by the end of the week. The Eagles released a secondary coach over the weekend, so they have flexibility to move around the staff and bring Spagnuolo back as an assistant head coach, if not defensive coordinator. If Andy Reid wants to retain embattled defensive coordinator Juan Castillo in some other capacity, that’s a possibility as well, according to league sources. Spagnuolo is a disciple of former Eagles defensive guru Jim Johnson, and was much-liked during his eight-year stint on Andy Reid‘s staff. Spagnuolo wanted to take time off last week, according to a league source, but expect his phone to start ringing quickly."
Spagnuolo would bring with him to Philadelphia a blitzing scheme that could immediately make the Eagles a fierce and stingy defensive group. Spags could be motivated to return to Philadelphia not just to help Andy Reid win a Super Bowl, but also to possibly step in as head coach should Reid not win it all next year. Although I think that with a few tweaks player and personell wise the Eagles could be Super Bowl contenders next year, a lot can and go wrong in the course of an NFL season. The Eagles could very easily make the playoffs next year and get knocked out in the first round which would spell the end of the Andy Reid era.
Instead of completely starting over and going out of the organization to hire a new head coach, the Eagles could hand over the reigns to Spagnuolo who, by the end of next season, would already have 9 years of experience with the Eagles, and an additional 3 years of head coaching experience under his belt.
Let's get to the facts for a second; Spags was an absolute defensive guru during his 2 years with the New York Giants. In 2007 the Giants shutdown defense led them to a Super Bowl victory over the New England Patriots. But after two successful years in New York, Spags walked into a bad situation in St. Louis. Spags took over a 2-14 Rams team in 08 and regressed going 1-15 in '09. In 2010 he improved to 7-9 before regressing this past year with a record of 1-15.
Simply put, St. Louis was a bad place for Spags with a lot of problems, and I don't think he is going to be too motivated to take over another stinker team that needs major rebuilding. But if Spags were to come back to Philadelphia, he would not only have the chance to piece this defense back together, but he could also be given the reigns as head coach should the Eagles not win the Super Bowl this year.
It will be interesting to see what happens in the upcoming days. If it were just another year with Reid returning, I think Castillo would remain as defensive coordinator. But this upcoming season is unlike any season that we have seen in a very long time. Reid will be on the hot seat, and he has to do everything he can to win in 2012. And for the Eagles brass, they need to start their preparation of hiring a new head coach in the event that Reid falls short in the upcoming season. Simply put, Steve Spagnuolo is an absolute ideal fit for the Philadelphia Eagles both now and in the future.
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